A successful inflight call with Paolo Nespoli

On Monday 4 December 2017, teachers and students from Czech Republic, Austria, Finland, and Italy had the opportunity to talk live with ESA Astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who is currently living and working on the International Space Station (ISS) for the VITA mission.

Lots of questions were asked

Photo: ESA

Question that were asked included the following two:

Where does the oxygen on the International Space Station come from? Are there plants on board that help produce breathable air?

Many films depict humans living in space and on space stations. What are some of the biggest inaccuracies, from a scientific perspective, regarding how the human body behaves in microgravity?

«It was a great experience to ask a question live to an astronaut who flies on the ISS. Interesting to hear how astronauts cope with living in a totally different environment and try to adapt to this. Especially for research into a future long-term stays in space.» – Jonas Pått, Finnish teacher

Not just an inflight call

In addition to the inflight call, the local events featured a range of activities, including talks from national space experts about the many benefits of space technologies, exploration, and research- encouraging teachers and students to explore how space contributes to the advancement of society through spin-offs and innovation, promoting international cooperation, and providing inspiration.

Paolo ended his inflight call with the teachers and students with some inspiring words: «Remember to have impossible dreams and then wake up and start working to make them happen!«